(RFE/RL)
DUSHANBE, August 2, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Tajikistan's Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting said today it has refused to give BBC a license to broadcast in Persian on FM radio.
The committee's first deputy chairman, Abdurahmon Abdumannov, said the main reason the license was not given is because there is no agreement between the Tajik and British governments on television and radio broadcasting.
The BBC office in Dushanbe confirmed to RFE/RL's Tajik Service that authorities refused to give them a license but declined to comment further.
Tajik media say BBC broadcasts in Persian on FM radio were stopped in January because of registration problems with the Justice Ministry.
The alleged registration problems were reportedly cleared up with the Justice Ministry in June but the broadcasting organization was then told to obtain a license from the Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting.